THEY MIGHT NAME HIM TODD...or Harry ( Short for Harry Tick).
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
IF EMERGENCE AND CHARISMATICA HAD A CHILD...
THEY MIGHT NAME HIM TODD...or Harry ( Short for Harry Tick).
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
MORE LOOSE LIVIN'
Jeremy's coming to stay a few days! Whoopie! Can't wait! He is to arrive at 9:10 pm tonight. Oh, mister plane driver, please be keeeerful!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
TRUTH-TELLING AND TOTAL DEPRAVITY
In no area of human nature is our innate depravity and complete fallen-ness more apparent than in our inability to tell the truth. The legal oath to tell "The whole truth and nothing but the truth..." is a worthy goal, not only in court, but for the Christian, it is absolutely necessary in everyday life.
The problem, with me at least, is that it is not as easy as it sounds. Here's how it seems to work with me: When I hear something or when I witness some event; as the words, sounds and images enter into my mind through ears and eyes, I file them away, not necessarily as they were actually seen and heard, but I tend to color them with my own prejudices and preferences. Before they ever get into my memory banks, they are already tainted by my inherent fallen-ness. I have spun them before I even filed them.
Some people are willing to distort what they know to be the truth in the retelling. True Christians are not willing do that. However, for me (All of us?), the problem really is much deeper than that. Even if I am careful to try to tell things exactly as I heard or saw them, I am actually only telling what was put into my memory, not what really happened. I suppose this is why eye-witness testimonies often are very different, even when the witnesses saw or heard exactly the same thing.
Even at my very best, I am desperately in need of a merciful Savior. I am not sure if this "enemy" can be completely defeated in this life or not. However, I have identified him. Now I must guard against him.
The problem, with me at least, is that it is not as easy as it sounds. Here's how it seems to work with me: When I hear something or when I witness some event; as the words, sounds and images enter into my mind through ears and eyes, I file them away, not necessarily as they were actually seen and heard, but I tend to color them with my own prejudices and preferences. Before they ever get into my memory banks, they are already tainted by my inherent fallen-ness. I have spun them before I even filed them.
Some people are willing to distort what they know to be the truth in the retelling. True Christians are not willing do that. However, for me (All of us?), the problem really is much deeper than that. Even if I am careful to try to tell things exactly as I heard or saw them, I am actually only telling what was put into my memory, not what really happened. I suppose this is why eye-witness testimonies often are very different, even when the witnesses saw or heard exactly the same thing.
Even at my very best, I am desperately in need of a merciful Savior. I am not sure if this "enemy" can be completely defeated in this life or not. However, I have identified him. Now I must guard against him.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
ANSWERS TO ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTIONS AND FAQ'S
Ain't dead. Ain't quit bloggin'. 'puter ain't broke. Had a physical. EKG not good. Sent me to a cardiologist. EKG not that bad. Stress test ordered. O.K. B.P. not O.K. New pills. Sleep constantly. Dr. says it's not the pillzzzzzzz....
Monday, April 07, 2008
TWO WEEKS OF LOOSE LIVING ...WHOOPEEE!
It's 5:30 a.m. and I'm packing for a two week romp. This morning I have a sheriff's department chaplain's meeting at 10:00, then I'm off to Tennessee for a week of fun and frolic with the boys and their families. Then we are off to Louisville, Ky for another week of fun, frolic and fellership at the Together for the Gospel conference. I hope to get to meet, in person, some of my favorite bloggers. In case you don't recognize me, I'll be the old guy humbly creeping along in Steve and Jeremy's shadow.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
THE LONG AWAITED CHURCH RENOVATION PICTURES
This is how the auditorium looks now. Notice that the lighting has been changed, the ceiling reworked, the choir area has new tongue and groove cedar, all the interior doors have been replaced, new window treatment, new paint and new carpet. Whewwweeee! I worked hard! Just kidding...I actually did very little. Maybe that's why it turned out so nice.
The following photos are the "before" pictures.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
ANNUAL BIBLE CONFERENCE
It's Bible Conference time again! Beginning Sunday, March 2nd, our annual Bible conference will begin here at the newly renovated Way of Life Baptist Church. Sunday services begin at 10:30 am with pastor, educator, author, perpetual student, father of most of my nine grandchildren, and all around good son, Steve Weaver.
(Others will be speaking in the other services through Wednesday night.)
If you find yourself within driving distance of Titusville, Fl., come on by.
Schedule of services:
Sunday AM: 10:30 with lunch afterward.
Sunday PM: 6:00 with 2 speakers
Monday through Wednesday: 7:00PM with 2 speakers each evening.
(Others will be speaking in the other services through Wednesday night.)
If you find yourself within driving distance of Titusville, Fl., come on by.
Schedule of services:
Sunday AM: 10:30 with lunch afterward.
Sunday PM: 6:00 with 2 speakers
Monday through Wednesday: 7:00PM with 2 speakers each evening.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
MILESTONES
Currently, I am crossing several milestones in my swiftly passing earthly journey:
December 30th 2007, my wife Jan and I celebrated 35 years of wedded bliss.
February 3rd, I completed 10 years of semi-faithful ministry at Way of Life Baptist Church.
Right now, we are totally renovating the auditorium of the Church. We are desperately trying to get it completed in time for the Bible conference that begins this coming Sunday, March 2nd. (Watch for before-and-after pictures soon.) (I consider this a milestone, because the auditorium has had little done to it in decades.)
This coming Tuesday, Feb. 26th, is my 54th happy birthday. (Reminder: Counting today, there are only 2 more shopping days left.)
Also, this year I am in my 30th year of Gospel ministry. (Funny...I thought I would have been farther along, spiritually, by now...)
A Prayer: Father, keep me always mindful of how short my time is, so that I might live wisely, redeeming the time. Keep me hungry for your fellowship and your approval. Keep me focused on the prize of your presence and the awareness that I must soon give account of my stewardship.In Jesus' name, Amen.
December 30th 2007, my wife Jan and I celebrated 35 years of wedded bliss.
February 3rd, I completed 10 years of semi-faithful ministry at Way of Life Baptist Church.
Right now, we are totally renovating the auditorium of the Church. We are desperately trying to get it completed in time for the Bible conference that begins this coming Sunday, March 2nd. (Watch for before-and-after pictures soon.) (I consider this a milestone, because the auditorium has had little done to it in decades.)
This coming Tuesday, Feb. 26th, is my 54th happy birthday. (Reminder: Counting today, there are only 2 more shopping days left.)
Also, this year I am in my 30th year of Gospel ministry. (Funny...I thought I would have been farther along, spiritually, by now...)
A Prayer: Father, keep me always mindful of how short my time is, so that I might live wisely, redeeming the time. Keep me hungry for your fellowship and your approval. Keep me focused on the prize of your presence and the awareness that I must soon give account of my stewardship.In Jesus' name, Amen.
Friday, February 08, 2008
TO THOSE WHO CLAIM POWER TO RAISE THE DEAD
From several different sources, lately, I have been told of ministers(?) who are so anointed of the Spirit(?) that they have actually raised people from the dead. On one occasion, I saw a drama on a religious T.V. channel. The hero was the spirit-filled sheriff of a wild-west town. On more than one occasion, during the show, the bad guys killed someone that jist ort not to have been kilt. The sheriff would come and lay hands on the dead person, rebuking both death and the devil, and in the name of Jesus, raise that person from the dead.
Two other occasions where this claim was made was in conversation with acquaintances who are deeply involved in charismatic churches. One is more than an acquaintance; I consider him a friend. Neither of these people actually saw it happen, but were totally convinced that ministers that they had heard of, were literally raising people from the dead.
I want to be careful in how I approach this subject because I have no doubt whatsoever, that God is able to raise the dead. However, I want to be perfectly clear in stating that I do not believe that these people are actually raising the dead. In light of my skepticism, I think the best way to proceed would be to ask some questions of those who claim life-giving power.
Perhaps the most important question that needs to be considered is this: Do you consider death to be a tragedy for the saved? It seems to me as if the emphasis placed on physical health in many religious groups has blinded them to the possibility that God could actually get glory for Himself and at the same time, grant blessing to His people through their suffering. To people thus blinded, surely death must seem as though Satan has won a victory every time a Christian dies. My contention is, that what Paul said of himself in Philippians 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." could and should be said of all saints. If "...to die is gain..." how could we treat the passing of a child of God as anything other than gain? There is much more that could be said on this point, but I want to hurry on to some other questions.
Other questions I would ask those who claim the power over death are these: Of all the dead, which ones are candidates for being raised? Do you have the power to raise people whose bodies have already been embalmed? Are there verifiable cases in which the putrefaction process has been reversed? Or what is the longest period of time that one was certifiably dead before he/she was raised? I suspect in most cases, that if the whole story were told, it would not appear quite as miraculous as they would have us believe.
One last question: Don't you believe that it is better to be with Jesus than apart from Him?
As for me, if my Lord should call me home, even now at the tender age of 53 years old, please don't call the paramedics! I don't intend to be morbid nor am I trying to be super spiritual, but I want to see Jesus. Just one moment with Him face-to-face would be worth more than ten thousand life-times here.
Two other occasions where this claim was made was in conversation with acquaintances who are deeply involved in charismatic churches. One is more than an acquaintance; I consider him a friend. Neither of these people actually saw it happen, but were totally convinced that ministers that they had heard of, were literally raising people from the dead.
I want to be careful in how I approach this subject because I have no doubt whatsoever, that God is able to raise the dead. However, I want to be perfectly clear in stating that I do not believe that these people are actually raising the dead. In light of my skepticism, I think the best way to proceed would be to ask some questions of those who claim life-giving power.
Perhaps the most important question that needs to be considered is this: Do you consider death to be a tragedy for the saved? It seems to me as if the emphasis placed on physical health in many religious groups has blinded them to the possibility that God could actually get glory for Himself and at the same time, grant blessing to His people through their suffering. To people thus blinded, surely death must seem as though Satan has won a victory every time a Christian dies. My contention is, that what Paul said of himself in Philippians 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." could and should be said of all saints. If "...to die is gain..." how could we treat the passing of a child of God as anything other than gain? There is much more that could be said on this point, but I want to hurry on to some other questions.
Other questions I would ask those who claim the power over death are these: Of all the dead, which ones are candidates for being raised? Do you have the power to raise people whose bodies have already been embalmed? Are there verifiable cases in which the putrefaction process has been reversed? Or what is the longest period of time that one was certifiably dead before he/she was raised? I suspect in most cases, that if the whole story were told, it would not appear quite as miraculous as they would have us believe.
One last question: Don't you believe that it is better to be with Jesus than apart from Him?
As for me, if my Lord should call me home, even now at the tender age of 53 years old, please don't call the paramedics! I don't intend to be morbid nor am I trying to be super spiritual, but I want to see Jesus. Just one moment with Him face-to-face would be worth more than ten thousand life-times here.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
MY DELL IS HERE!
Hello, world. I'm back! I just made it home with my new 'puter. Dude! It's a Dell! I got a Dell Inspiron 1721. I'm being modest when I say that it has enough power to allow me to take over the world.
I expect to be wreaking havoc in the blog-o-sphere again very soon. In the mean time, I want to send out a heart-felt thank you to those of you who didn't de-link me...yet
I expect to be wreaking havoc in the blog-o-sphere again very soon. In the mean time, I want to send out a heart-felt thank you to those of you who didn't de-link me...yet
Friday, December 07, 2007
HELLO?
As you know, if you read my last post, I destroyed my computer with a cup of coffee. I'm devastated! Having been cyber-active for less than 3 years, I was surprised to discover that I can't live without a computer. Right now I am using my wife's ancient p.c. It jist ain't the same.
The thing that really hurts is that I know that there is a multitude of faithful readers out there who are literally starving to death, spiritually, because of my absence in the blogosphere (Just kidding. Sheesh! Lighten up!).
I sure hope you guys don't de-link me. I'll be back soon...I hope.
The thing that really hurts is that I know that there is a multitude of faithful readers out there who are literally starving to death, spiritually, because of my absence in the blogosphere (Just kidding. Sheesh! Lighten up!).
I sure hope you guys don't de-link me. I'll be back soon...I hope.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, YOU'UNS
I hope every one of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. Steve and family, Jeremy and family, and Elizabeth and family are all going to be here for Thanksgiving. This is a rare blessing for Jan and me, to have the whole group here at once.
Now for excuses:
I have not been able to blog lately. Have you noticed? I thought not. Anyway, I was having problems connecting to the internet from my study. Enter SUPER STEVE! Evidently, he was born knowing about electrical gadgets, so he fixed the problem with a minimal amount of effort and large amount of cash. Thanks Steve. So, I'M BACK! At least for the moment. You see, I spilled my coffee onto my computer just a moment ago, and I might be gone again...soon. But you probably wouldn't notice anyway. Sigh.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Now for excuses:
I have not been able to blog lately. Have you noticed? I thought not. Anyway, I was having problems connecting to the internet from my study. Enter SUPER STEVE! Evidently, he was born knowing about electrical gadgets, so he fixed the problem with a minimal amount of effort and large amount of cash. Thanks Steve. So, I'M BACK! At least for the moment. You see, I spilled my coffee onto my computer just a moment ago, and I might be gone again...soon. But you probably wouldn't notice anyway. Sigh.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, October 06, 2007
'NUTHER OLD CAR
For those who were wondering what ever happened to the '86 Monte Carlo, well... I traded it. I cleaned it up a bit, got it running, put new tires on the original wheels, and mounted them on the car...then I traded it for this 67 Impala 2 dr hard top.
When I first got this car, it had just been painted. It was originally blue, but the guy I got it from painted it a Cadillac pearl white (I would have preferred the original color, but the white looks good too.) The body of the car had been stripped of all chrome, both bumpers, and all the lights. Every thing was piled inside the car. I still don't have all the moldings put back in place, and the interior needs re-working, but it is a sweet driving car.
You will notice that I put a set of 15"x 8" Corvette rally wheels with 235/70 Uniroyal Tiger Paw radials on it. These are my favorite wheels, and I usually put them on every old Chevy I get. This car came from the factory with 14 inch wheels and tires, a 283 cubic inch v8 engine with a 2 barrel carb, and a 2 speed "Power Glide transmission. Under the hood, it's all original. It even has factory A/C (Which I hope to have working soon).
More pictures to come!
P.S. If you look closely, you can see a little bit of the Doodle-Bug that I got while blindly stumbling in automotive sin. You can also see that I could easily win Jeff Foxworthy's redneck yard award.
When I first got this car, it had just been painted. It was originally blue, but the guy I got it from painted it a Cadillac pearl white (I would have preferred the original color, but the white looks good too.) The body of the car had been stripped of all chrome, both bumpers, and all the lights. Every thing was piled inside the car. I still don't have all the moldings put back in place, and the interior needs re-working, but it is a sweet driving car.
You will notice that I put a set of 15"x 8" Corvette rally wheels with 235/70 Uniroyal Tiger Paw radials on it. These are my favorite wheels, and I usually put them on every old Chevy I get. This car came from the factory with 14 inch wheels and tires, a 283 cubic inch v8 engine with a 2 barrel carb, and a 2 speed "Power Glide transmission. Under the hood, it's all original. It even has factory A/C (Which I hope to have working soon).
More pictures to come!
P.S. If you look closely, you can see a little bit of the Doodle-Bug that I got while blindly stumbling in automotive sin. You can also see that I could easily win Jeff Foxworthy's redneck yard award.
Friday, September 21, 2007
NEWS FLASH!!!
For those who are interested, I am leaving this afternoon for Tennessee. The Lord willing, I will be preaching in Rutledge, Tennessee on Monday evening and again on Monday evening. Please pray for Jan and me as we travel and for me as I endeavor proclaim God's word.
P.S. We'll get to see the 'boys' and 7 out of 9 grandchildren.
P.S. We'll get to see the 'boys' and 7 out of 9 grandchildren.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
MY HUMILITY IS SHOWING...AGAIN
I realize that I am not as witty as Bugblaster or as well read as David. I'm not as thoughtful as Kim. Nor am I as prolific as Jim. I am not as well educated as Steve, nor as naturally talented as Jeremy. I'm sure that I'm not as prayerful as Daniel, nor as deep as Marcia. I can't write like Dan or Tom...But I've been to the "well" where I have been satisfied and am being satisfied.
(How's that for blogspoting, saying "I" a whole buncha times, and revisiting a previous post all in one shot?)
(How's that for blogspoting, saying "I" a whole buncha times, and revisiting a previous post all in one shot?)
Monday, August 20, 2007
MY HUMBLE OPINION ABOUT PIT BULL DOGS
Just for the record, I think all Pit Bull dogs should be given to Micheal Vick. I'm just sayin'.
Monday, August 13, 2007
ANNOUNCING MY SON'S FIRST PUBLISHED WORK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO NOT BE EXCESSIVELY PROUD
(And failing miserably in the attempt)
This is the book all sincere students of Church history and the spirituality of our Fore-Fathers in the faith have been waiting for. I expect it to set the evangelical world on fire...if they read it. One of the reasons that I am so confident in the value of this book is that it was co-edited by my son Steve and his understudy, Michael Haykin. Well...maybe it was the other way around, but anyway, Steve's name is on it. That makes it infinitely more valuable in my estimation. I ain't jist talkin' either. I bought 40 copies. You don't have to buy that many, but you should at least buy one. Right??
This is the book all sincere students of Church history and the spirituality of our Fore-Fathers in the faith have been waiting for. I expect it to set the evangelical world on fire...if they read it. One of the reasons that I am so confident in the value of this book is that it was co-edited by my son Steve and his understudy, Michael Haykin. Well...maybe it was the other way around, but anyway, Steve's name is on it. That makes it infinitely more valuable in my estimation. I ain't jist talkin' either. I bought 40 copies. You don't have to buy that many, but you should at least buy one. Right??
Monday, August 06, 2007
Sunday, August 05, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE
Author, educator, pastor, conference speaker, blogger,Braves fan, student, and all around good son; Steve Weaver discovered America 33 years ago today. Happy birthday, son. I'm proud of you.Who would like to hear some embarrassing stories from his youth?
Friday, August 03, 2007
As a loyal devotee to Buggy, I will follow his time-tested example of reposting past offerings. I apologize for my lack of productivity in the blogworld, but I have excuses. Maybe soon I'll be able to come up with something worth sharing and the time to share it. For now, however, this was one of my favorite posts from a while back.
A NON-DRAMATIC STORY OF DEALING WITH DEMONS
While checking out some blogs that I like to read, I came upon this post by Scott Hill http://fide-o.blogspot.com. It reminded me of an incident that occurred a few years ago in Mexico while I was serving as a missionary there.
A Mexican Independent Baptist pastor, who was serving a church in VeraCruz, came to visit me one day. This was a bit unusual, considering that he had ridden a bus over 90 miles to get to my house. Since indigenous pastors are notoriously poor, I wondered why he had sacrificed his meager resources just to come for a visit.
The mystery was soon cleared up, though, as he began to tell me that he had a serious problem with a member of his church. He said "We have a brother in the church that is demon possessed. He is fine during the day time, but as it begins to get on toward evening, he begins to scream and cry and even curse. This goes on until morning. By then he is so tired that he has to sleep and can't work." He went on to say,"I am trying to get a group of faithful Christians together to come to VeraCruz and have an all-night prayer meeting with this brother in order to cast the demon out of him. Will you help?"
That kinda put me on the spot because I had never cast out a demon before. I had never advertised myself as a demon caster outer, nor did I have any desire to learn about casting out demons. However, I did and do believe that demons exist. I believe that they are against God and His purposes. I believe that we are engaged in spiritual warfare. I believe as Paul said in Eph.6:12 that we "Wrestle....against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." But here is what I don't believe: I don't believe that Satan or his minions have any inherent power. They have no power other than what is given to them.
With that in mind, my response to this sincere pastor's request was fourfold:
#1 Stop calling him brother, because, if it is true that he is possessed, he is not a brother in Christ.
#2 Neither Satan himself nor his demons have the ability nor the authority to possess anyone at their whim. Satan cannot take it upon himself to knock down a person's will and take over without permission from God and/or that person.(Isn't it strange that people are willing to grant that power to Satan, who is not sovereign, but not to God who is?) See the 1st two chapters of Job. Although Job in this text was not being "possessed", he was being attacked. However, the principle is clearly taught here that the Devil cannot do just anything without permission. He couldn't touch Job's possessions without permission and he couldn't touch Job' s person without permission, and even then, Satan's boundaries are clearly set.
#3 Without a doubt, this man has opened a door in his life to let those demonic influences in. Find out where the door is open, exhort him to repent of that sin thereby closing the door to satanic influences, exhort him to seek Christ for salvation, and the demon will be gone.(James4:7) "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
#4No amount of praying, pleading the blood, or rebuking the devil, will do any good if he is unwilling to repent of sin, trust Christ, and resist the devil.
Well, the pastor left my house not a little offended. I dare say that he was hoping for a very dramatic and emotional experience that he would be able to tell about for years to come. A tale of spiritual warfare in which he and a few holy men of God prayed all night, confronted the demon, rebuked him in the name of Jesus and pitched him out on his ear. But, if he took my advice, there would be very little drama. No possibility of humbly shaking hands with the brethren while proudly saying "We did it! We cast out a demon!"
THE CONCLUSION OF THE STORY
I didn't hear from the pastor for a while, until we met at an area wide youth meeting. He came to me and said that he hadn't cared much for my advice at first, but as he thought about it, he began to think it was worth a try. He began to investigate and found that the family of the young man was deeply involved in the occult: fortune telling, astrology and such. After making a profession of faith, he had distanced himself from his family's satanic practices for a while, but soon the temptation was too great and he began to participate again. That's when the problem started. The pastor told me that when they confronted him about this, he confessed, repented, surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, moved out of the house where the temptation was and had no more trouble with demons. No drama. Just simple obedience to the Word of God.
A NON-DRAMATIC STORY OF DEALING WITH DEMONS
While checking out some blogs that I like to read, I came upon this post by Scott Hill http://fide-o.blogspot.com. It reminded me of an incident that occurred a few years ago in Mexico while I was serving as a missionary there.
A Mexican Independent Baptist pastor, who was serving a church in VeraCruz, came to visit me one day. This was a bit unusual, considering that he had ridden a bus over 90 miles to get to my house. Since indigenous pastors are notoriously poor, I wondered why he had sacrificed his meager resources just to come for a visit.
The mystery was soon cleared up, though, as he began to tell me that he had a serious problem with a member of his church. He said "We have a brother in the church that is demon possessed. He is fine during the day time, but as it begins to get on toward evening, he begins to scream and cry and even curse. This goes on until morning. By then he is so tired that he has to sleep and can't work." He went on to say,"I am trying to get a group of faithful Christians together to come to VeraCruz and have an all-night prayer meeting with this brother in order to cast the demon out of him. Will you help?"
That kinda put me on the spot because I had never cast out a demon before. I had never advertised myself as a demon caster outer, nor did I have any desire to learn about casting out demons. However, I did and do believe that demons exist. I believe that they are against God and His purposes. I believe that we are engaged in spiritual warfare. I believe as Paul said in Eph.6:12 that we "Wrestle....against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." But here is what I don't believe: I don't believe that Satan or his minions have any inherent power. They have no power other than what is given to them.
With that in mind, my response to this sincere pastor's request was fourfold:
#1 Stop calling him brother, because, if it is true that he is possessed, he is not a brother in Christ.
#2 Neither Satan himself nor his demons have the ability nor the authority to possess anyone at their whim. Satan cannot take it upon himself to knock down a person's will and take over without permission from God and/or that person.(Isn't it strange that people are willing to grant that power to Satan, who is not sovereign, but not to God who is?) See the 1st two chapters of Job. Although Job in this text was not being "possessed", he was being attacked. However, the principle is clearly taught here that the Devil cannot do just anything without permission. He couldn't touch Job's possessions without permission and he couldn't touch Job' s person without permission, and even then, Satan's boundaries are clearly set.
#3 Without a doubt, this man has opened a door in his life to let those demonic influences in. Find out where the door is open, exhort him to repent of that sin thereby closing the door to satanic influences, exhort him to seek Christ for salvation, and the demon will be gone.(James4:7) "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
#4No amount of praying, pleading the blood, or rebuking the devil, will do any good if he is unwilling to repent of sin, trust Christ, and resist the devil.
Well, the pastor left my house not a little offended. I dare say that he was hoping for a very dramatic and emotional experience that he would be able to tell about for years to come. A tale of spiritual warfare in which he and a few holy men of God prayed all night, confronted the demon, rebuked him in the name of Jesus and pitched him out on his ear. But, if he took my advice, there would be very little drama. No possibility of humbly shaking hands with the brethren while proudly saying "We did it! We cast out a demon!"
THE CONCLUSION OF THE STORY
I didn't hear from the pastor for a while, until we met at an area wide youth meeting. He came to me and said that he hadn't cared much for my advice at first, but as he thought about it, he began to think it was worth a try. He began to investigate and found that the family of the young man was deeply involved in the occult: fortune telling, astrology and such. After making a profession of faith, he had distanced himself from his family's satanic practices for a while, but soon the temptation was too great and he began to participate again. That's when the problem started. The pastor told me that when they confronted him about this, he confessed, repented, surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, moved out of the house where the temptation was and had no more trouble with demons. No drama. Just simple obedience to the Word of God.
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